smac97 Posted June 29, 2020 Posted June 29, 2020 Disheartening: Quote A Springville man was charged Thursday with sexually abusing a student while he was an associate professor at Brigham Young University. Michael James Clay, 45, is charged in 4th District Court with two counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony. Clay was head of the Urban and Regional Planning in the Geography Department at BYU, according to his online bio. BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins on Thursday said Clay has not been an employee of the university since about mid-April and referred all other questions to the Utah County Attorney’s Office. It sounds like BYU found out and terminated his employment. Quote Between January and March he was in charge of the program at the school the student was involved with, according to charging documents. “(Clay) has the authority to hire interns and teaching assistants in connection with this program. (He) told the victim that if she trusted him more, he might be able to hire her but that he wanted to wait to see how she improved. (Clay) told the victim that he is very powerful in the victim’s field of study,” according to the charges. During a meeting with Clay, the woman, who is originally from another country, said she told him she “was having some emotional difficulties.” “(Clay) told the victim that he could make her feel better and make all the negative feelings go away,” according to the charges. “(Clay) said he could work on her disorders and the negative feelings and that he could be her emotional and physical support. The victim considered (Clay) to be a mentor and a therapist.” More details in the article. See also here (there were apparently text messages between Mr. Clay and the victim). Per the court docket (case no. 201401964), Clay is charged with two counts of violating Utah Code 76-5-404, which states: Quote An individual commits forcible sexual abuse if the victim is 14 years of age or older and, under circumstances not amounting to rape, object rape, forcible sodomy, or attempted rape or forcible sodomy, the actor touches the anus, buttocks, pubic area, or any part of the genitals of another, or touches the breast of a female, or otherwise takes indecent liberties with another, with intent to cause substantial emotional or bodily pain to any individual or with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any individual, without the consent of the other, regardless of the sex of any participant. As you can see, the statute is worded quite broadly. Pretty dispiriting, if true. -Smac 4
Duncan Posted June 29, 2020 Posted June 29, 2020 a friend of mine had him for a few lectures and almost took urban planning because of him, but good thing he dropped that idea!
Robert F. Smith Posted June 29, 2020 Posted June 29, 2020 5 hours ago, smac97 said: ............................... As you can see, the statute is worded quite broadly. Pretty dispiriting, if true. ............. There will always be problems of this sort. We only hope that they are infrequent, but that they are handled properly when discovered. 2
Meadowchik Posted June 29, 2020 Posted June 29, 2020 @smac97, I have a question for you that is more broad than this specific case, hope you don't mind. In fact, may I message you? TIA
smac97 Posted June 29, 2020 Author Posted June 29, 2020 40 minutes ago, Meadowchik said: @smac97, I have a question for you that is more broad than this specific case, hope you don't mind. In fact, may I message you? TIA Feel free. Thanks.
Amulek Posted June 29, 2020 Posted June 29, 2020 Hopefully the victim is now getting the help / counseling / support that she genuinely needs and the perpetrator gets the justice he deserves. 3
USU78 Posted June 29, 2020 Posted June 29, 2020 How far-reaching. The perp, his family, friends and associates. The vic, her family, friends and associates. Everybody's life damaged, everybody's heart injured. Everybody's future wrested from what was supposed to be. And innocence dirtied. Our ethical fingerprints are truly all over everything and everyone we touch. 2
stemelbow Posted June 30, 2020 Posted June 30, 2020 On 6/29/2020 at 8:24 AM, USU78 said: How far-reaching. The perp, his family, friends and associates. The vic, her family, friends and associates. Everybody's life damaged, everybody's heart injured. Everybody's future wrested from what was supposed to be. And innocence dirtied. Our ethical fingerprints are truly all over everything and everyone we touch. Well said, USU78.
MustardSeed Posted June 30, 2020 Posted June 30, 2020 Gross. Unfortunately I read a detailed account- and even my depraved brain has a hard time reconciling the reality that people are actually this narcissistic that they feel justified doing such awful things.
smac97 Posted July 1, 2020 Author Posted July 1, 2020 (edited) On 6/29/2020 at 8:24 AM, USU78 said: How far-reaching. The perp, his family, friends and associates. The vic, her family, friends and associates. Everybody's life damaged, everybody's heart injured. Everybody's future wrested from what was supposed to be. And innocence dirtied. Our ethical fingerprints are truly all over everything and everyone we touch. Quite so. I've seen two articles in the UK about this story. Between it, the "Book of Mormon" musical, and the Daybell/Vallow story, they must think we are really strange. Thanks, -Smac Edited July 5, 2020 by smac97 1
Stargazer Posted July 5, 2020 Posted July 5, 2020 On 7/1/2020 at 3:13 AM, smac97 said: Quite so. I've seen two articles in the UK about this story. Between it, the "Book of Mormon" musical, and the Daybell/Vallow story, they must thing we are really strange. Thanks, -Smac I think they already thought that.
The Unclean Deacon Posted July 7, 2020 Posted July 7, 2020 Sadly within Mormonism there are worse things than sexually abusing a child.
Tacenda Posted July 7, 2020 Posted July 7, 2020 (edited) Just now, The Unclean Deacon said: Sadly within Mormonism there are worse things than sexually abusing a child. Name one, just one. I can't think of anything. OOPS! I think we agree! Edited July 7, 2020 by Tacenda
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